The Ghost of a Dewott
by Goldstein-Izayoi
Summary: In the firecamp of Team Conquerors, the death of Karla, a Dewott raised by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa, was told. Who had known that her death was so closely related to the Third Crusade?


_Disclaimer_

_Frederick I "Barbarossa" is a historical figure, as is most characters mentioned in Khalid's story._

_Must I talk about the Pokemon franchise?_

_A.N.: This script is rated T due to themes of Crusades and suicide. The suicide is not graphically described, I promise, just mentioned._

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~_theghostofadewott _ ~

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Nightfall swept across Unova. There was a group of three adventurers – Temujin, an air-headed male Reuniclus; Khalid, a calm male Krookodile; and Zizka, a female Mienshao with a fiery temper – that identifies themselves as Team Conquerors. Quite fitting, considering their namesakes (Temujin, later known as Genghis Khan; Khalid ibn Walid; and Jan Zizka) were known to have a clean sheet of victory marred with no defeat.

In any case, Team Conquerors were plopping a firepit on the Giant Chasm. Around the firepit, the three decided to throw around stories. Khalid was to give his first.

"Do you know that there's a roaming ghost of Dewott in the city of Jerusalem?" he started. Zizka and Temujin shook their heads. "You haven't? Well, I got this story from my colony leader before I left it. Let me tell you the story of Karla," he then continued.

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_~ theghostofadewott ~_

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Karla was a lucky Dewott. She was raised by the Holy Roman Emperor himself, Frederick I "Barbarossa," after the exile of Henry the Lion in 1181. Frederick may've been a busy emperor, but over time he made sure Karla is well cared. That successfully locked Karla's affection on him.

It was relative peace ... until the call to crusade came.

Salahuddin Yusuf ibn Ayyub, better known as Saladin, has captured Jerusalem in October 1187. The capture itself was almost a formality, the Kingdom's powers fallen in the Battle of Hattin three months prior. Between the defeat at Hattin and the capture, it successfully sent a powerful shockwave across the European Christendom to start armies in motion. At least, it was enough to make monarchs _claim_ that they'll go.

Frederick I, who have gone on the Second Crusade in his youth, eagerly answered the call for what we'll know as the Third Crusade. He took the cross publicly in March 1188 – reportedly in the Easter itself, which fell at 27th – before the Diet* of Mainz, but the usual process of actually assembling the army and departing delays the journey of the army until May 1189. Of course, Frederick I brought Karla in the campaign – which made her a mascot among the Emperor's guard, and later, the entire army.

The army – which was too big for a fleet of ship to transport; medieval chroniclers said that his army numbered a hundred thousand strong, with twenty thousand knights, but some believe this is exaggerated – took the land route, passing Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgary, then entered Byzantine territory, arriving at Constantinople at the autumn of 1189. There was a little squabble with the Byzantine emperor, but the march goes on. They moved through the interior of Asia Minor, entering Cilicia in late May 1190.

Then, in the 10th of June, the disaster happened.

It was late afternoon. Everyone was tired and hot. Frederick decided, out of Karla's sight, that he walks his horse across the Saleph River (now known as Goksu) rather than crossing the bridge that was too crowded, without bothering to take his armor off. Perhaps he was showing off; perhaps, being over sixty years old, he should have been more careful. In any case, he, along with the horse, swept across the river and drowned to death, his armor too heavy for him to swim with.

Once she heard of his death, she set out to sneak and commit suicide, unable to overcome the grief that she was unable to protect her 'retainer.' Even after his son, Frederick VI of Swabia, told her that it was not her fault and his remains will be interred in Jerusalem, she was still unable to overcome the grief. In fact, a moment after he left, she committed it.

Between the death of their emperor, and then their mascot, the German army broke down. Some returned to Europe, some took ship to Antioch, some went overland to Antioch, some deserted, and some even committed suicide as well. The deaths effectively spelt the end of any significant German appearance on the Third Crusade.

Now, her ghost is said to roam the streets of Jerusalem, looking for the interred remains of her 'retainer,' supposedly after what Frederick VI told her. She was doomed to fail. Since efforts to conserve his body in vinegar failed, his flesh was interred in Antioch, his bones in Tyre, and his inner organs at Tarsus. No parts of him was interred in Jerusalem.

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_~ theghostofadewott ~_

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After the telling, Zizka snuggled to Khalid, to his discomfort. Temujin was due to deliver his story next, but it was another story entirely.

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_Fin_

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_**A.N.: Ah, well, this script ends here (you don't say~). This script looks like a history lesson (to me, at least) because the events around Frederick I was made as close to reality as reasonably possible. Of course, I've to make up anything about Karla, his Dewott, including but not limited to:**_

_**-) that she was found by Frederick I after Henry the Lion was exiled  
-) that she was the mascot of the marching German army  
-) that her ghost roams the street of Jerusalem**_

_*** Diet here is closer to a legislative assembly (a good present-day analogue is Japan's National Diet) rather than to food consumption.**_


End file.
